Gallup: Obama 50%, Clinton 40%

This is a short diary entry.

Polling for Obama remained unchanged over the weekend, suggesting that while a lot of noise is being made over his comments re "bitter", the public seems not to care.  Or, at the very least, is not changing their perception of him.  While other polls may demonstrate some people reacting negatively to his comments, nothing suggests those comments are from any Obama supporters nor do they suggest voters are leaving him in any way whatsoever because of them

Clinton, on the other hand, is dangerously close to slipping below 40%.  While the numbers from last night's polling are unavailable to me, this suggests that, because her previous days were above 40%, Sunday's polling was in the 30s.  She may be receiving a backlash from her elitist charges, and perhaps that is something that may become evident during the week.  If I were her strategists, these numbers would give me great pause and I would certainly think twice about continuing this line of attack.

•  Some good news

  Thank you.

  Oops, sorry for jumping the tip jar!

  by Particle Noun on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:14:04 AM PDT

  •  disingenuous?

    how could you key the "oops ..." statement and be sure you were right?

    looks like a post-post edit, but that can't be done here, can it?

    by wystler on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:27:56 AM PDT

•  tips

  I thought for sure his numbers might take a hit because of the controversy, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

  by patagonia on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:14:17 AM PDT

  •  Just the first day of post controversy polling?

    I don't really know the ins and outs of polls, but I would think that it'd be at least another day or two before we could really say that.

    by reklemrov on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:16:50 AM PDT

    •  certainly

      We'll get a better perspective of this issue a week from now, but the initial reports are promising.  The polling was conducted Fri-Sun and so Friday's numbers most likely do not refect voter reaction to the story.  However, Saturday and particularly Sunday should start to show movement, if any.  While Obama has remained steady, Sunday appears to show downward movement for Clinton.  

      by patagonia on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:19:40 AM PDT

      •  And don't forget Rasmussen, which says

        that the last two days of their 4-day tracking poll were even stronger for Obama; they have him up by 4.

        by PittsburghPete on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:21:30 AM PDT

    •  after the forum last night

      and the debate Wednesday NOBODY is going to give a shit about "bittergate."  I'm a worry wart when it comes to Obama.  But I'm not the least bit worried about his "comments" having ANY traction at all.  Expect blowback on Hillary, McCain and the Media if anything.  

      by dehydratedcracker on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:24:04 AM PDT

      •  I would love to see blowback on the media

        It seems that we have occasionally seen that happen this race.

        I'm a little skittish, still having vivid memories of the Dean Scream (that other media manufactured event that killed a good candidate). But maybe times are different now.

        Good point about the Hillary blowback. That does seem to happen when she goes hard after Obama.

        I guess I need to take a deep breath (like a lot of people.)

        by reklemrov on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:29:48 AM PDT

        •  Dean Was Dead Before Scream

          The campaign was failing in a number of ways which is why he lost IA in the first place.

          Plus a couple months earlier he said on NBC that the media giants needed to be broken up. Very soon after that he'd become officially crazy.

          by Gooserock on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:41:09 AM PDT

    •  Yeah, but the gallup is a rolling poll

      so it actually reflects about 2-3 days prior to when it comes out. So, yes I agree that another week will really show if this has had any legs, but the first few days after (which in many cases is the most important in these types of issues as it is when people vote emotionally, check the correlation in the Wright incident, lowest numbers immediately followed the initial flap)

      by edgeways on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:27:43 AM PDT

  •  I really expect

    this controversy to help his numbers slightly, and hurt Clinton's; the change in today's numbers is too small to confirm or deny but at least they suggest that the latter part is true.

    When you have 85% of the population who believe the country is on the wrong track, and one candidate says people are bitter and the other says "no they're optimistic, this guy's out of touch!" - who's it going to hurt?

    by sab39 on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:23:38 AM PDT

  •  You beat me to the diary (i'm just above you)

    but if you don't mind, I'm going to leave mine up as well?

    by Junglered1 on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:36:27 AM PDT

•  I was wondering what today's # where

  going o be, yesterday suggested he was holding strong, but, at least according to Gallup, this who thing hasn't affected him nationally. That is not 8 days ahead out of the MOE.

  by edgeways on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:16:03 AM PDT

•  From what I am reading -

  this whole bitter-gate is more of a media creation and Clinton talking point than an issue for voters.

  This poll is encouraging, and supports that theory, but the ARG PA poll scares me.

  by leawood on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:17:05 AM PDT

  •  lol at ARG scaring you...

    Don't sweat it Lea.  Look at the last 3 ARG's for Pa.  They are all over the board.  I can understand the SUSA poll that had Hillary up 18 or whatever last week scaring you.  But no need to pay any attention to the ARG.

    Btw, Obama is going to have the debate of his life Wednesday.  He'll come out of that looking like the nominee.  Word is bond.

    by dehydratedcracker on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:28:07 AM PDT

    •  Thanks, I'm a wee bit anxious.

      I agree about Wednesday.  There's a reason she hasn't been breathing down his neck demanding debates.  She is in the hole and has much to be called on. Looking forward to her signature contrived irritating-as-hell laugh. He'll come out smelling like a rose.

      Do appreciate the reassurance. I know ARG is generally considered crap, but 20 is scary.

      by leawood on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:32:27 AM PDT

  •  ARG wouldn't scare a baby, it's ARG PLUS

    Clinton got booed at this mornings forum where both candidates were asked to speak.  The crowd was mostly Union workers.  The crowd did not favor one canditate over the other, nor was with a bunch of college students.  This was an event attened by ever day citezens from PA.  She got booed and hissed when she went after the "Bittergate" thing.

    She pressed on with her attack, but she just looked tired and beat.

    by ourhispanicvoices on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:29:52 AM PDT

•  nice....

  Kitchen Sink 2 is going to hurt them both vs. McCain though.  

  Who are these dems still supporting her?  I can't even call them "low information voters" any more, they must be "no information voters."

  While I'm happy he's up 10.  If Dem's were paying attention and the media wasn't trying their best to keep this a close horse race, Obama would be up 25%.

  by dehydratedcracker on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:17:14 AM PDT

  •  Hell, he should be up 40%

    Anyone who really pays attention can see that Hillary is a terrible candidate. Snipergate alone, where she basically LIED about her experience, would sink her completely in November.

    by existenz on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:20:13 AM PDT

•  This is an Elitist poll. n/t

  by Dartagnan on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:18:57 AM PDT

  •  LOL n/t

    by boofdah on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:22:28 AM PDT

  •  The Elitiest poll of them all...

    I totally stole elitiest from a comment a read this weekend (can't remember where though - UGH).  I'm hoping Colbert uses it for The Word when Michelle Obama is on tomorrow night.

    "Help!!! I'm being Enlightened!" - TCFKNCS's avatar

    I always wanted to quote an avatar.

    by RhymesWithUrple on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:24:47 AM PDT

    •  That would be the truthiest term for him to use.

      by reklemrov on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:31:28 AM PDT

  •  does anyone have any other polling in PA?

    I have heard a lot of negative stuff written about ARG polling, does anyone have any other news on the PA polls? I would love to see this mess end next tuesday and send her home. Thanks

    by peacefully on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 11:18:56 AM PDT

•  btw...

  Anyone seen Haperin over at Time with Rush Limbaughs reaction?  Halperin, Ben Smith and all of Hillarys media brigade are really going to any extreme to make a mountain out of a molehill on this one.  They must be so frustrated that the public isn't buying into their transparent character assassination.

  by dehydratedcracker on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:19:54 AM PDT

•  And Hillary is dangerously close to falling

  below the 40% mark.  As much as the MSM wants the "bitter" remarks to doom Obama, what it has done is crystalize the debate in America.  The fact is, people ARE frustrated and angry and bitter about what's been going on in this country for the past umpteen years, and they want, what?  Say it with me folks, CHANGE!

  by PittsburghPete on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:20:02 AM PDT

  •  Media Doesn't Care So Long As They Help McC

    It's all good for them even if it doesn't flip Dem voters from one candidate or the other.

    The media need to hold onto the White House this year.

    by Gooserock on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:42:49 AM PDT

•  Real folks are not talking about it

  Only the phony crowd in the corporate media and the Clintonites.

  by RaulVB on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:20:06 AM PDT

•  Yep

  It's almost as if Democratic primary voters have learned not to trust a politician who accuses another politician of being elitist. It's not like the Republicans haven't tried it against, oh, every Democrat who's ever run in any election! The people who fall for that attack already vote for the Republicans.

  by neil on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:20:46 AM PDT

  •  Although it's not just DemPriVoters

    Obama's numbers didn't fall at all even in the general election matchups, so apparently anybody who is actually offended by these comments didn't like Obama in the first place.

    by neil on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:22:08 AM PDT

•  Barack told hard truth vs Hill lying re: Bosnia

  That's the best part!

  Obama told the TRUTH, and Hillary is bashing him for it.  People ARE frustrated.

  Meanwhile, Hillary LIED about Bosnia.  Hillary LIED about going to church on Easter.  AND THEN, she gets mad that Barack calls her on it.

  She is losing touch, she is losing control, and she soon will realize that she lost this election a month (or so) ago.

  by Dante92660 on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:21:08 AM PDT

•  I'm bitter, bitter, bitter!

    Like Koroviev in the Master and Margarita.  I know no one will get that reference, but it makes me happy.
    I just don't understand why desperation does not aid one's standing in the polls!

  by redrelic17 on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:21:29 AM PDT

  •  I imagine that they're bitter

    at TaylorMarsh.com and TalkLeft. Dammit, he's supposed to be sinking! We've said a dozen times now that he was doomed and it's never come true! How could that be, when Hillary told us herself that it was a sure thing!

    by neil on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:25:03 AM PDT

•  WooHoo!

  by notquitedelilah on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:26:15 AM PDT

•  Haha.

    I didn't know Annie Oakley was, so I looked her up on Wikipedia.  It turns out that some comedian added a link to Hillary Clinton's page in the reference section.  

  by redrelic17 on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:28:46 AM PDT

•  Don't worry

  If I were her strategists, these numbers would give me great pause and I would certainly think twice about continuing this line of attack.

  Don't worry.  If the numbers start going against her, she'll turn on a dime ... or maybe a quarter ... or maybe on a dime until Bill buys it back with interest and raises the issue again.

  Why doesn't anyone talk about "pandergate" with respect to Clinton?

  by accumbens on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:29:04 AM PDT

•  If I'm a superdelegate

  these are the numbers I'm watching.  Let the numbers slide around a little with Pa. and Ind. (which doesn't seem to be happening either).  Is he "electable"?  You bet.

  by briefer on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:29:50 AM PDT

•  Hillary frankly looks like the "B"

  word in her response to this, she should have let the media run with it, the minute she gets involved just like the Wright thing people remember they can't stand her.

  by nevadadem on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:30:04 AM PDT

•  Co-opting of the bitter message in 3..2..1.. eom

  by edgeways on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:30:44 AM PDT

•  Good.

  As I said before, this is going to be a net gain for Obama when all is said and done.  That's what you're seeing.  Stop worrying that it will hurt him, people.  The country agrees.

  by Drew J Jones on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:33:20 AM PDT

•  Gallup is a state that does not matter :)

  by cskendrick on Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:36:41 AM PDT